The present invention began out of a need for a device that can readily be mounted on a toilet to provide protection against urination overspray, and which can be disposed of after use, or after brief periods of application.
Young boys and often, older men, on occasion have difficulty with maintaining their urination stream within the confines of a toilet. As a result, unforeseen consequences result for the toilet owner and/or the next user. Therefore, it is desirable to have an apparatus that can be readily installed upon an existing toilet, such that the device will function similarly to a standard urinal, while at the same time protecting the toilet and its surroundings from oversprayed urine.
Many such toilet shielding devices and methods have been designed in an attempt to prevent urine overspray, but all are disadvantageously difficult to clean and thus potentially non-hygienic when compared to the present invention.
Some previously described shields attach to a toilet to become substantially fixed devices. These designs necessitate the removal thereof for cleaning and thus complicate the ease and effectiveness of such cleaning.
Other shield-type devices are disadvantageously designed to direct urine overspray to the floor and/or to limit the target area for urine collection into the toilet. Still others protect only the seat, fail to adequately collect overspray and/or fail to protect the surrounding toilet area.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,803 to Gregovski teaches a splash shield of a formed panel that fastens to a toilet and which is attached to the lid so that it forms a shield when the lid is raised. Gregovski '803 is disadvantageous in being a fixed device incapable of being quickly removed or replaced. It must be cleaned in place or removed for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,062 to Fulbright, Jr. teaches a device for lifting a toilet seat to form a urinal with accordion sides attached to the seat. Fulbright, Jr. '062 is permanently mounted to the toilet and suffers the disadvantage of having to be cleaned in place or removed for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,776 to Sarjeant teaches a similar splashguard to that of Fulbright, Jr. '062 wherein a urinal is formed by raising the seat to which a set of nested telescopic plate segments is attached. Sarjeant '776 suffers from the same disadvantages as Fulbright, Jr. '062, namely that it must be removed for cleaning or cleaned in place since it is permanently affixed to the toilet apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,185 to Kohler teaches a toilet bowl protector that covers the bowl base and surrounding floor. While Kohler '185 protects the floor and toilet itself, it suffers the disadvantage of providing no side or back areas to form a urinal and must also be cleaned either in place or after removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,132 to Walka teaches a rigid folded absorbent shield that is placed on the floor behind the toilet bowl. Walka '132 is highly disadvantageous in that any overspray reaching it would then be deposited on the floor. It further fails to protect the toilet apparatus from overspray.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,512 to Bressler teaches a semicircular fixed spray shield that sits on the edge of a toilet bowl. Bressler '512 sits within the opening of the toilet and disadvantageously provides a small target opening and further is not a disposable device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,760 to Brown et al. teaches an overspray shield of slightly conical shape that protects the toilet seat. It is adhesively attached. While Brown et al. '760 is removable, it is rigidly formed and not a disposable unit and thus is disadvantageous.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,925 to Blaha teaches an expanding conical tube urination aid that extends upward from the toilet opening toward the user. Blaha '925 is a fixed device that disadvantageously must be cleaned in place and provides a small target opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,135 to Jones et al. teaches a toilet bowl splashguard secured to the lower surface of a toilet seat such that it forms a generally U-shaped splash shield. It opens and collapses in accordion fashion through a set of lever arms that raise it as the seat is raised. Jones et al. '135 is permanently affixed to the toilet and seat, is overcomplicated, and must be disadvantageously cleaned in place or removed for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,905 to Woods teaches a urine deflector that covers the toilet seat. Woods '905 disadvantageously protects only the seat and does not provide a urinal-shaped area and thus cannot contain overspray.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D394,900 to Kang teaches a splash shield that apparently mounts to the toilet bowl and is generally semicircular. Similar to Bressler '512, Kang '900 is depicted as a rigid device that disadvantageously would require cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,302 to Eckert teaches hinged interleaved segments that raise to a general conical shape when seat is raised. Eckert '302, permanently attached, disadvantageously is overly complex, does not form a urinal back, and thus cannot contain overspray. In addition, it requires cleaning in place or removal for cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,840 to West et al. teaches a toilet training accessory that rests on the toilet bowl and is a general shield with backsplash. It would of necessity be formed of rigid material. West et al. '840 provides a modicum of back area, but disadvantageously is not large enough to contain overspray. While not fixed in place, it disadvantageously is rigidly formed, non-disposable and requires cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,055 to Gambia et al. teaches a rigid semicircular splash shield with handle and means to fasten to toilet seat once seat is raised. Gambia et al. '055 forms a urinal-like back, but disadvantageously sits within the toilet opening and is thus small. While not permanently affixed, it is rigidly formed, non-disposable and must be cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,785 to Linden teaches a rigid semicircular splash shield that attaches to a raised toilet seat with a U-shaped hook. Linden '785 disadvantageously sits within the toilet opening and thus cannot contain side sprays. Further, thought not permanently affixed, it must still be cleaned.
While some or all of the above-referenced patents may well be utilized for shielding toilets from overspray, they fail to adequately provide a disposable urinal that can fully contain overspray, and they are overly complicated.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an overspray device, wherein a disposable urinal is effectively created thereby, thus eliminating or minimizing the need for cleaning thereof and avoiding the above-discussed disadvantages.